What is the relationship between social aspect of landscape architecture and

sustainability?

Introduction
Population growth and its shift to cities for the purposes of employment, better
opportunities in life, higher income, economical gains, etc. has led to a severe urban growth
globally in a comparably little span of time. This growth and inequality combined with
competing demands for land use and other constraints puts existing and accessible green
areas under threat.
Landscape architecture and landscape planning is a pre-requisite for environmental,
social and economic sustainability especially in urban development. Social aspects of
sustainability and landscape architecture designs need to have community’s taking part in
the activity of landscaping and design. Landscape architecture plays an important role in the
planning of environment-friendly cities in key aspects of creation, restoration and
conservation. As urban areas expand and become denser, the accessibility and the amount
of green areas is likely to decline, unless plenty effort is made to maintain and increase it. In
the meantime, we must draw attention to the growing population’s need for healthy and
sustainable development of living spaces in cities and urban areas where the conditions for
potential togetherness rather than intentional or unintentional social exclusion is laid.

Landscape Planning
Santra understands the concept of landscape as a geographical and environmental
wholeness and flexibility of a specific land area, comprising human and cultural values that
are related to the land (2005). Because of this, landscaping and landscape architecture deals
with the environment in order to get in line with mankind’s objectives. Landscape
architecture and landscape planning has provided important services to making parts such as
an environmental-friendly layout, preservation of natural resources, presenting open spaces
and green and blue areas in cities, green space plans, making of green living areas, creation
of natural streams, management of appearances of cities and instalment of cultural and
leisure facilities.
While looking into the relationship between the social aspects of landscape
architecture and sustainability, it is also very important to understand the reality of urban
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living conditions. According to Ricky Burdett and Deyan Sudjic, globally, the state of the
urban situation shows that living and working conditions in metropoles and cities has caused
more and more fragmentation, become less environmentally aware and more socially split
groups (2011, p. 8). Good quality and sustainable urban and green space design, by paying
attention to social togetherness and density, will not solve social disparities by itself, but it
will reduce the negative effects of exclusionary landscape planning.
At the end of the day, the social aspects of urban matter and landscape architecture
goes around issues of social inclusion and exclusion. Suketu Mehta states that, “ it is not
that everyone is included. It’s that no one is excluded. It’s not that you’ll get invited to every
party on the beach. It’s that somewhere on the beach, there’s a party you can go to” (2015).
In my own point of view, He points out that in the design of urban areas and green and blue
spaces and landscaping, we may not be able include everyone individually in the design and
application, but none of the social layers is to be excluded in the process.

Landscaping and Sustainable Development

Sustainable landscape architectural projects create ecological designs for the outdoor
and urban environment. In broad meaning, sustainable landscape architecture should aim
the combination of social, environmental, cultural and economic factors while creating
landscapes. Among other objectives, this approach provides protection of natural habitats,
increasing water quality and energy efficiency and the combination of social and cultural
aspects of urban area inhabitants.
Sustainable development has been described by many researchers and these
descriptions browse around nearly the same centre. For example, in view of Wright,
sustainable development is the type of development that provides people with better life
without draining resources or causing environmental negative effects that will disable the
ability of following generations to fulfil their own needs (2008). From this, we can observe
that sustainable development gives us the opportunity to use environmental resources in
continuity of existence. According to Joseph, sustainable development is a pattern of
socioeconomic development which optimizes the economic and societal provisions that can
be obtained in the present, without degenerating the probable potential for analogous
benefits for the future generations (2009). According to Harris, in view of economics,
sustainable development is understood to be economic development which provides for
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human needs without weakening global ecology and depleting necessary resources (2009).
This suggests that sustainable development is futuristic in this regard.

Sustainable Urban Areas and Green Spaces

Green open spaces are an important part of sustainable cities. Open space in urban
environments provides many advantages of formal and informal sport and recreation,
preservation of natural environments, provision of green space. According to V.I. Telichenko
& A.A. Benuzh, green space has to be taken into consideration as a key component in urban
area planning if the health of a city and its people are both considered important (2014).
Urban green spaces are considered as important contributors to development and
can be significant parts of sustainable development. Developments of urban green spaces
need to consider interdisciplinary and integrative approaches such as economic, social,
cultural, management and planning aspects to improve existing city spaces’ facilities and
services and to optimize urban green space policies. The quality of cities depends very much
on how the urban green spaces are designed, implemented, managed and protected. In view
of V.I. Telichenko& A.A. Benuzh, the social aspects of urban green spaces include diversity of
land uses, contribution to health and active life styles in cities, social justice by incorporating
all groups and ages of people into green spaces, opportunities to interact and expand social
network, enhancement of cultural life for different communities living in the city by
providing a platform to share views, feelings and to celebrate different groups occasions
(2015, pp. 1065-1069).
Now, I would like to look into a specific relationship of landscape architecture and
individual’s health or public health as a social aspect.

Landscape Architecture and Health

A review published by “Public Health England”, an executive agency of Department

of Health of United Kingdom, points out that green environments are related to reduced
levels of depression, anxiety and fatigue and can enhance quality of life for both children and
adults (2020). It is said that humans with better access to green space can have a wide range
of health benefits from lower levels of cardiovascular disease through to maintaining a

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healthier weight. And in the meantime, good-quality green space can support the delivery of
health, social, environmental and economic priorities at a relatively low cost.
Green space is a kind of natural capital which can aid the authorities to address the
urban issues they face, including improving health and wellbeing, managing health and social
care costs, reducing health inequalities, improving social cohesion. Life in a greener
environment can promote and protect good health. People who have greater exposure to
green space have a range of more favourable physiological outcomes. Greener environments
are also associated with better mental health and wellbeing outcomes. A greener urban
environment can also be used as an important tool in the drive to build a fairer society.
When it is examined the economic benefits which can be gained, it highlights the
economical importance of savings in provision of healthcare and wellbeing of the society.
According to some recent valuations, for example, it has been estimated that £2.1 billion per
year could be saved in health costs if everyone in England had good access to green space
due to increased physical activity in those spaces.
Broadly, it is thought that green space is linked to health and wellbeing in several
ways. According to Lovell R & Depledge Michael, improving access to green space promotes
healthy behaviours, such as engaging in physical activity and other recreation; green space
can also improve social contacts and give people a sense of familiarity and belonging; green
space supports the development of skills and capabilities, especially for young people (2018).
According to findings of another researcher named Stigsdotter U., Swedish people
are living longer lives, but the number of years in good health is decreasing (2005). Swedish
people’s health and reactions of burnout are increasing more rapidly. In addition to the
personal ordeal, the costs of increased ill health constitute a threat to the welfare of
Swedish society. Stigsdotter based her study on ‘healing gardens’ for health enhancing
environment, but also pointed out that there is still need for research about how these
gardens should be designed.

Conclusion
By developing urban areas that recognizes how the landscaping and social are
inseparably linked, we may be able to create lively environments both for nature and the
inhabitants. Designing for inclusivity will create places where everyone can participate
equally, independently and with confidence and dignity. In general, involving people in the
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process of design of landscaping and implementation of it will bring out a sense of belonging
and feelings of physical and mental relief to the very people who would use it.
Sustainable development is the key to our future and, environmental resources
should be used to take care of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
In the meantime, provision of good quality landscaping and green space through
landscape architecture will improve the public health in general and enhance the quality of
life for both adults and children by having reduced levels of depression, anxiety and fatigue.

References

Santra, S. C. (2005) Environmental Science. London, New Central Book Agency Ltd.
Ricky Burdett and Deyan Sudjic (eds) (2011), ‘Living in the Endless City’, Phaidon, London,
p.8.
Suketu Mehta, ‘Beyond the Maximum: Cities May be Booming, but Who’s Invited to the
Party?’, The Guardian, 30 November 2015.
Wright, R. T. (2008) Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future. New Delhi, PHI
Learning.
Joseph, B. (2009) Environmental Studies. New Delhi, Tata, Mc Graw Hill.
Harris, J. M. (2006) Environmental and Natural Resources Economics: A Contemporary
Approach. New York, Houghton Mifflin Company.
V.I. Telichenko, A.A. Benuzh, Ind. and Civ. Eng. 10, 40 (2014).
V.I. Telichenko, A.A. Benuzh, Adv. Mat. Res., 1065-1069, 2169 (2015).
Public Health England, Improving Access to Green Space, A New Review for 2020, (2020).
Lovell R, and Depledge, Michael., Health and the natural environment: A review of
evidence, policy, practice and opportunities for the future. European Centre for Environment
and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School. 2018.
Stigsdotter, Ulrika (2005). Landscape architecture and health. Diss.
(sammanfattning/summary) Alnarp : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., Acta Universitatis Agriculturae
Sueciae, 1652-6880 ; 2005:55, ISBN 91-576-6954-6, [Doctoral thesis].